As Co-founder and Creative Director of New Works, Knut Bendik Humlevik takes the lead on the visual expression of New Works.
We sat down with Knut to learn a little more about the man behind the design; his origin story, the essence of New Works and how their designs respond to Danish design heritage.
Your origin story?
Graduated architect from The Royal Danish Academy. Norwegian-born, but lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. My journey in design started in the early days at Hay – when they had this one shop in the hidden streets of Copenhagen. After some years with Hay, I was part of the establishment of Norr11 before I decided to invest in my own journey within the design industry – New Works – with Nikolaj Meier.
Explain the essence of New Works to a newcomer?
New Works presents a collection at the intersection between old and new. Light and dark. Our work pays homage to the strong Scandinavian history of craftsmanship and materiality whilst challenging today’s contemporary forms. We collaborate with an international group of renowned designers and artisans who display a matching fascination with sculptural forms and honest materials. These collaborative pursuits convey our love of the sensual and of the bold.
How does New Works respond to Danish design heritage?
We are very fond of the Scandinavian design heritage, which is inevitably a part of our identity. Still, it has been essential to me that New Works appears as something other than a direct offspring of the Scandinavian design style and New Nordic. When we founded New Works, I wanted it to be a brand that challenged the commercial Scandinavian design industry by adding a more unpolished feeling. At the time, the new wave of Nordic design companies was working with a lot of coloured, polished surfaces. I mainly seek inspiration in craftsmanship, design, and architecture from areas south of Scandinavia, especially from Belgium. What sets us apart is our contemporary selection of products, which all have a poetic feel in combination with an enveloping universe.
Favourite piece?
In New Works – Kizu, this piece reflects the focus on materiality and the sculptural essence of our brand. Outside New Works – Capello by Molo has an excellent composition story and is just so relevant.
Muses?
The poetry of lighting – awareness of how light affects you, the one you see but more often the unseen.
